


Love and IKEA

by cinnamon_skull



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drinking, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, IKEA, M/M, Recreational Drug Use, Romance, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-25
Updated: 2015-06-25
Packaged: 2018-04-06 01:21:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4202517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinnamon_skull/pseuds/cinnamon_skull
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While on summer break, Eren begins working at IKEA. </p><p>A story about summer crushes, lessons in romance, the best hiding spots IKEA has to offer, how to play house with your boss, accidental rendezvous, a study on how IKEA is a lot like Hogwarts and, of course, happy endings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love and IKEA

“I told you, Jean,” Eren said, pulling a radio out of his pocket. He cast a sly look over his shoulder before pushing down the call button with his thumb. “L&F, this is team ramrod. The emerald dragon has been tamed, do you copy?”

“What?” a voice crackled, low and annoyed. “Kirschstein if you left your walkie on the floor again—”

“What the fuck,” Jean hissed, yanking his radio out of Eren’s hands and shoving him in the direction of the bed. “Make sure he doesn’t run away again while I handle this.”

Jean held the radio up to his mouth and glared at Eren as he spoke. “This is Kirschstein. We found the kid.” He snapped his fingers at Eren, pointing at the bed.

Eren sighed and walked toward a pine bedroom set sitting on a raised dais, missing the hissed reply that came through the radio.

He couldn’t believe he was stuck in this corporate wasteland for three months. Before two weeks ago, he’d never even stepped foot in an IKEA. And now here he was, crawling after some booger eating munchkin hiding under item number IZ456D in the children’s section.

“Hey kid, I see you,” Eren said as he approached the bed. As he got closer, he kneeled down, so that he could peek under the frame. “I’ll give you credit, you play a mean game of hide and seek, but your mom and dad are worried about you.”

A five-year old boy with freckles and a red baseball cap gave Eren a toothy grin. “You’re it!” he giggled, grabbing onto the bottom of Eren’s jeans with his chubby fingers.

“I thought we were playing hide and seek,” Eren smiled, reaching down a hand to help the kid out from beneath the bed.

“Hide and seek, hide and seek!” the little boy shouted and tried to run down the aisle before Eren grabbed the back of his shirt.

“Hey, not so fast. Snack time with mom and dad first,” Eren said, trying to distract him from running away again.

It seemed to work, because the kid shot Eren another grin before grabbing onto his pants again. “Snack,” he agreed.

They made their way back to Jean, who was busy straightening his nametag and looking like a smarmy dick, reminding Eren exactly why he vowed to make his life a living hell. When he saw Eren, he scowled.

“If you steal my radio one more time, Jaeger, I’m going to shove it so far up your ass—”

Eren coughed, jerking his head down at the kid staring at Jean with big eyes.

“Assembly. Your assembly.” Jean finished lamely, shrugging his shoulders. “You need to bring him to Levi.”

“Why me?” Eren whined. “Isn’t this your jurisdiction? I’m supposed to be on inventory with Reiner in twenty.”

“Nope,” Jean smirked. “Erwin said he wanted you to handle it. So you know what to do for next time.”

“Next time?” Eren echoed. Just how often was he going to have to play babysitter?

“Better hurry up,” Jean said. “Levi hates to be kept waiting.”

Eren narrowed his eyes at Jean’s sudden change in demeanor. The taller boy was compulsively straightening his collar and smoothing wrinkles from the front of his shirt.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing,” Jean mumbled, as he turned sharply to adjust a sign that didn’t need to be adjusted.

“Why are you acting all…twitchy?”

The sign made some ominous screeching noises as Jean bent it forcefully back and forth in its holder.

“Just because some of us actually care about doing a good job,” Jean huffed.

He watched Jean move the base of the sign back and forth while shooting stealthy looks over Eren’s shoulder every few seconds.

“You’re being really weird right now.”

While the kid he was supposed to be returning to Lost and Found was busy poking his bellybutton with his index finger and giggling, Eren turned around to find out exactly what had gotten Jean all cranky and bothered.

Turns out it wasn’t a what but a who.

A tall guy wearing an IKEA uniform was helping a family pick out a children’s bedroom set. He had tanned skin and a smattering of freckles all over his face and arms, and probably everywhere else that Eren couldn’t see.

He was almost devastatingly handsome with the kind of good looks that belonged on magazine covers and on movie screens. His dark hair was ruffled and sticking up at all angles, giving him an “I just rolled out of bed” look that Eren could appreciate.

Freckles was gesturing to a pink canopy bed and smiling down at a little girl hiding behind her mother’s knees. The father asked him a question, and when he turned to point out something on the top storage shelf, he stopped to wave in Eren’s direction.

A loud clatter and curse had Eren swirling around in time to spot a frazzled looking Jean picking up the sign he had been pretending to straighten earlier.

“Shit.” Jean’s arms flailed comically while he tried to right the sign without causing more of a scene.

“Ohhhh,” Eren said, smirking at Jean. “I get it, now.”

“Get what?” The base was finally standing upright again, but the sign was crooked and dirty from rubbing against the floor. “Oh, shit! Shi–”

“Jean!” Eren hissed, gesturing down to the kid who was now pressing down on a dried up piece of gum with the tip of his shoe.

“Shitake mushrooms!” Jean gritted out, running a hand threw his hair again. “Just stand there and shut your mouth.”

“What are you—”

“Hey there, Jean, is everything okay?”

Eren swung around to find Freckles hovering behind them with a concerned look on his face.

“Everything’s fine, Marco, just fine, why wouldn’t it be?” Jean asked with a nasally, nervous laugh.

Freckles, who Eren supposed was called Marco, looked a little alarmed at Jean’s insane laughter. Who wouldn’t be, really?

“I thought I heard a crash, are you okay?”

“Oh, yeah, it’s just this sign,” Jean answered, trying to be casual.“You know, this one always gives me trouble, I think the base is defective or something.”

“Really?” Marco looked at the metal base, as if he could help fix the problem.

“I’m hungry,” a little voice suddenly said.

“Who’s this?”

“Nick,” answered the little boy shyly.

Marco crouched down so that he was eye level with the kid. Or at least closer than when he was standing – Jesus, he was tall. “Hi Nick, I’m Marco. I work here.”

Marco stuck out his hand so that Nick could give it a little slap. Jean made a strangled noise and almost knocked over the sign again.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“He’s fine,” Eren said. “I’ve spent the past week with him, so this all seems pretty normal.”

“Oh,” Marco said, standing up. “Hello. Are you new?”

“This is Eren,” Jean responded with a nasty glare before he could even answer. “And he is very, very late. Levi is not going to be pleased.”

Marco looked worried. “You better make a run for it, then. Levi is really scary when he’s mad.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Basically my happy place - expect fluff, enamel eroding happiness, kissing, smut and, of course, a little bit of suffering for my friend Jean. 
> 
> Full disclosure - I have never been in an IKEA. But as my wonderful and lovely friend Nin pointed out - it seems like the perfect place to go on a first date. 
> 
> I hope you find this as heartwarming and enchanting as I do. Rate M for future chapters : ) I am also thinking of making this a series - I'd like to spend some more time on jeanmarco and isafar with their own one-offs and such. 
> 
> If this made you smile or gave your warm fuzzies, please leave kudos or BETTER YET a comment. I'd love you forever. : )


End file.
